"Jihadi John" is a nickname given to a member of the Islamic State (IS, ISIS, or ISIL). He is known for his role as the apparent executioner in several beheading incidents in 2014.

He was given his nickname of John by a group of his hostages. They said he was part of a terrorist cell called "The Beatles", and guarded Western hostages while handling communications with their families. His nickname was based on John Lennon of the British rock group the Beatles, with other members of the cell known as "George" and "Ringo", after Beatles George Harrison and Ringo Starr, as the cell members all had British accents. The nickname of "Jihadi John" was created by the British press.

Jihadi John was identified by the FBI on 25 September 2014, though his name has yet to be released publicly. British Prime MinisterDavid Cameron has ordered MI5, MI6 and GCHQ to track and capture Jihadi John.

In a video posted on Instagram in May 2014, a man who investigators believe may be Jihadi John is seen killing a Syrian soldier. The video shows a soldier loyal to PresidentBashar al-Assad crouching in a field in Syria, then being shot in the back of the head by a man armed with a pistol.

James Foley Main article: James Foley (journalist)

In a video uploaded to YouTube on 19 August 2014, Foley read a prepared statement criticizing the United States, the recent air strikes in Iraq, and his brother who serves in the United States Air Force. Jihadi John, wearing a mask, also read a prepared statement in which he criticized America and President Barack Obama and made demands to cease the 2014 American intervention in Iraq. The masked man then beheaded Foley off-camera, after which he threatened to behead Steven Sotloff if his demands were not met. The FBI and United States National Security Council confirmed that the video, which included footage of Foley''s beheaded corpse, was genuine.

Steven Sotloff Main article: Steven Sotloff

On 2 September 2014, a video was released reportedly showing American journalist Steven Sotloff''s beheading by Jihadi John. The White House confirmed the video''s authenticity.

David Haines Main article: David Cawthorne Haines

On 13 September 2014, a video, directed at British Prime Minister David Cameron, was released, showing British hostage aid worker David Haines being beheaded by Jihadi John.

Alan Henning Main article: Alan Henning

On 3 October 2014, a video released by IS showing Jihadi John beheading British aid worker Alan Henning. Henning, a taxi driver from Salford, Greater Manchester, had volunteered to deliver aid to Syria when he was kidnapped in Ad Dana, an area held by IS, on 27 December 2013.

Hostages

Jihadi John has claimed that there are more than 20 hostages remaining. Many hostage families have chosen not to reveal their relatives'' names in order to avoid drawing attention to them and compromising their safety.

John Cantlie Main article: John Cantlie Peter Kassig Main article: Peter Kassig Analysis of videos Official analysis

Officially the FBI and United States National Security Council confirmed that the videos, which ended with footage of beheaded corpses, are genuine. David Cameron and the British Foreign Office also confirmed the authenticity of the video showing the death of David Haines.

The videos were produced and distributed by Al Hayat Media Center, a media outlet of IS that is under the authority of the IS''s official propaganda arm, the Al-Itisam Establishment for Media Production, that targets specifically Western and non-Arabic speaking audiences.

Unofficial analysis

An unnamed forensics expert commissioned by The Times to look at the video said "I think it has been staged. My feeling is that the murder may have happened after the camera was stopped." The Times concluded that "No one is questioning that the photojournalist was beheaded, but camera trickery and slick post-production techniques appear to have been used." Two unnamed video specialists in the International Business Times of Australia claimed that portions of the video appeared to be staged and edited. Dr. James Alvarez, a British-American hostage negotiator, also claimed the video was "expertly staged". Jeff Smith, Associate Director of the CU Denver National Center for Media Forensics said “What’s most interesting is that the actual beheading that takes place in the videos, both of them are staged,”

British analyst Eliot Higgins (Brown Moses) published photographic and video forensic evidence suggesting that the video was taken at a spot in the hills south of the Syrian city of Raqqa.

Identification and manhunt See also: The Beatles (terrorist cell)

Jihadi John became the subject of a manhunt by the FBI, MI5 and Scotland Yard. In his videos, Jihadi John conceals his identity by covering himself from head to toe in black, except for tan desert boots, with a mask that only leaves his eyes visible. Despite this, several facts about Jihadi John can be ascertained from both videos. He speaks with a "Multicultural London English" accent and appears to have a skin tone consistent with African or South Asian descent. In both videos, he is seen to sport a pistol in a leather shoulder holster under his left shoulder, typical of right-handed people, but his actions in the videos have led him to be widely considered to be left-handed.

Other factors that could lead to his identification are his height, general physique, the pattern of veins on the back of his hands, his voice and clothes. A team of analysts might use the topography of the landscape in the video in an attempt to identify the location. On 24 August 2014, the British Ambassador to Washington, Sir Peter Westmacott, said that Britain was very close to identifying Jihadi John using sophisticated voice recognition technology, but when pressed, refused to disclose any other details.

In an article by The Daily Telegraph, it was stated that even if Jihadi John is positively identified, it is highly unlikely that he would face justice in the UK due to the nature of the conflict in Syria and the conflict in Iraq.

On 20 September 2014, the USSenate approved a $10 million bounty for information that leads to the capture of anyone involved in the murders of James Foley, Steven Sotloff and David Cawthorne Haines, which includes Jihadi John.

Possible identity See also: United Kingdom and ISIS

On 14 September British Prime Minister David Cameron confirmed that Jihadi John''s identity was known but had yet to be revealed.

On 25 September, FBI director James Comey told reporters that they had identified the suspect, but did not give information regarding the man''s identity or nationality. "I believe that we have identified him. I''m not going to tell you who I believe it is," Comey stated. Michael Ryan, an author and scholar from the Middle East Institute speculated “Maybe 98 percent of 95 percent sure is not sure enough to put a man’s name out.”

Reactions

Barack Obama condemned the actions of Jihadi John and vowed punishment for all the militants responsible behind the videotaped beheadings. Secretary of State John Kerry also called Jihadi John a "coward behind a mask" and, echoing Obama, stated that all those responsible would be held accountable by the United States. British officials have also reiterated their commitment to capturing Jihadi John. Admiral Alan West, a former UK Security Minister, said that he is a "dead man walking" who will be "hunted down like Osama Bin-Laden". David Cameron also stated that he was absolutely certain that Jihadi John would "one way or another, face justice", he also condemned the actions. Other figures like Justice Secretary Chris Grayling, and Secretary General of Interpol Ronald Noble also stated that Jihadi John should be brought to justice.

Ringo Starr, a member of the Beatles, expressed disgust that the militant cell were given nicknames based on members of the band. Speaking to the Evening Standard, he said "It’s bullshit. What they are doing out there is against everything the Beatles stood for."